Heading into Round 17 there was little room for error for many of our Aviva Premiership side's and after 480 minutes of action that remains the same. This 2014/15 season is one of the most intense ever and it will certainly be the most exciting run ins in recent history. The competition remains on a knife edge, thought we'll have to wait for another Here is the full round review;
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| (C) Bath Rugby |
There is a valid case to argue that Bath’s win on Friday night was one of their most impressive to date, of course that victory over the Tigers supersedes it however in terms of the mental strength required and the manner in which they delivered the result few could have pleased Mike Ford more. It wasn’t a vintage game of rugby, instead it was intensely physical and slightly compact in it’s output. Bath enjoyed the lions share of possession however Sale’s heroic defensive efforts and ability to slow the ball down at the breakdown meant that the scoreline game remained tight. Tom Homer delivered all of his side's points however he did miss 3 other kicks and his understanding of The Rec’s elements will need to improve going forwards. For the Sharks Mike Haley continued to highlight this prowess at 15 however collectively the side looked weary and worn out. Steve Diamond confirmed this following the final whistle due to their small squad numbers and they'll welcome the LV rest. It was essential for Bath to put to bed the demons of this time last year and headed into their run in with a victory whilst Sale will be bitterly disappointed to leave without a losing bonus point.
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Loving life up in 2nd.
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At Sandy Park the Exeter Chiefs delivered a ruthless performance against London Welsh as they scored 10 tries against a London Welsh side that are going through rugby hell. The Exiles made the opening twenty minutes a competitive and interesting contest however after that the home side turned on the after burners and never, ever looked back. Will Chudley’s opening try for the highlighted Welsh’s ongoing defensive issues and at the set piece it boarded on men against boys as the Exeter pack had a field day. Nathan Trevitt’s and Seb Stegmann’s tries were well worked for the visitors however they found it horribly tough going. Take nothing away from the Chiefs, their performance was ruthless and impressive, individuals delivered and impressed; Hill, Slade, however their real test will come following their LV Semi Final as they have Tigers, Saints, Wasps, Saracens and Sale standing in their way of a Top 4/6 finish. For Welsh the pain continues, how they must be hurting and personally I find it tremendously difficult to see.
In London Harlequins delivered their fans with another emotional rollar-coaster however for the first time in 3 rounds this one ended in victory. It was a gloriously sunny day in London on Saturday and the home side started strongly; Nick Evans’ boot kicked them to a 9-3 lead thanks to their endevaour in attack however Glenn Delaney’s London Irish weren’t there to make up the numbers and they worked hard to get themselves back in the game with James Short's opportunist try starting proceedings just before the break. Young Tom Fowlie had a delightful day at the office as he gave the visitors real go forward and thoroughly deserved his try along with a pack that really took the game by the scruff of the neck in the second forty. It was one of the closest encounters between the two sides in recent years and Harlequins will be ecstatic with the fact that they dug deep and held on for the moral boasting victory.
The home fans at Kingsholm also went on a rollar-coaster of their own as their side gave away a 23 points to 6 lead against the Northampton Saints and ended the day sharing the spoils. For forty minutes Gloucester had all the tricks and the Saints couldn’t quite match up. James Hook and Greig Laidlaw highlighted what a formidable force they can be together, from scrum time to the breakdown and everywhere in between Gloucester were on song and playing delightful rugby. It is fair to say the visitors received a Jim Mallinder rocket at half time for they were a different outfit after the break, led by the physical force of nature that is Samu Manoa and the boot of Stephen Myler. Down to the wire it went, it was a match filled with end to end excitement with dynamic work from Billy Twelvetrees, Charlie Sharples and James Wilson to name but a few. Saints' show of determination will have sent shivers down the spines of the rest of the table and Gloucester know that their chances were there for the taking. In short, it was thrilling and compelling Aviva Premiership rugby.
To start the Sunday Service Wasps hosted Saracens at the Ricoh Arena and delivered another blinder of a rugby game. Exactly like Gloucester, Wasps raced ahead from the offset, they looked sharper and more sprightly than their opponents; Christian Wade's finish for their first try was out of this world and Elliot Daly's own solo try shortly after was up their too. However, as you'd expect from Mark McCall's men they fought back, Saracens were calm and considered and thanks to the delightful half back pairing of Richard Wigglesworth and Alex Goode they pushed themselves right back into the game. Physically it was a brutal encounter and one that cost Brad Barritt of his fitness as he was taken off and now will be out for a prolonged period of time. The breakdown resembled a war zone such was the intensity of the contest, as you'd expect with Jacques Burger, Ashley Johnson and Jackson Wray on the field. Wasps didn't push on how they would have liked and in spite of weathering a period with Guy Thompson in the sin bin they never looked to have the upper hand in the second. A timely reminder of Saracens' brawn and steel, hugely impressive from the London outfit.
The final game of the weekend was in the far North of the country as the Newcastle Falcons welcomed the Leicester Tigers to town. The home side's position in the table betrays their strong recent form and coupled with a spot of family rivalry it was always going to be a hugely competitive fixture. In front of their second highest crowd of the season Newcastle again played expansive and positive rugby and outscored their visitors in terms of tries, two to one. This is something that they have done during many of their Premiership losses this season and it remains a huge frustration that they cannot find their killer instinct to finish these games. Leicester had the upper hand at scrum time and once again they 'won ugly' and remain firmly poised for their playoff charge. The win was tainted the loss of Tom Croft who suffered what looked to be a dislocated shoulder and he is now out for the foreseeable future.
